Public Security Ministry hosts 41st Asian & Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators: Delegates to the 41st Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators. (Photo: VNA)

The annual event provides a platform for agencies responsible for prison and correctional administration within Asia-Pacific to meet, exchange ideas, and share practices in corrections.

This year’s event, to last until November 16, brings together more than 200 delegates from 25 countries, three international organisations, and 15 diplomatic agencies. This is the second time the Vietnamese ministry has hosted the rotary event.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Public Security Nguyen Van Long highlighted APCCA’s significant contributions to enhancing international cooperation in prison management and corrections.

Such information and experience exchanges between APCCA members are important for countries and territories to raise the efficiency of correctional practices, he continued.

The officer briefed the participants on Vietnam’s correctional landscape, which follows the Constitution and law, and its specific policies on education, vocational training and health care for inmates, along with those on amnesty and rehabilitation.

Long noted his hope that the participants will raise feasible solutions to improve the efficiency and quality of correctional administration, helping prisoners soon return to normal life and contributing to preventing and reducing crimes, thus creating a healthy environment for the development in each nation and the entire region.

The conference will touch upon challenges to the prison service in Vietnam and solutions to them; safe environment and health care for prisoners with mental and behaviour disorders, and those with drug-related problems, and disabilities; how to minimise recidivism through rehabilitation programmes; cooperation with private partners and organisations in corrections; and improving material facilities and technologies to serve the work.

Shie Yong Lee, Head of the Singaporean delegation, said prisons should be safe places for both inmates and correctional administrators, stressing the need to promote social reintegration of prisoners and raise public confidence in prison management.

First held in 1980, APCCA now gathers 34 member agencies from 25 countries.